Driven by India’s greatest medal haul in Tokyo Olympics, the federal government will broaden the scale and scope of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) protecting the 2024 and 2028 Games in thoughts, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur mentioned on Sunday.
During a felicitation programme organised for the triumphant Indian athletes, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) awarded Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra with a money award of Rs 75 lakh.
This is the primary time, IOA is providing money incentives to Olympic medallists.
The silver medallists — wrestler Ravi Dahiya and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu — acquired Rs Rs 50 lakh every for his or her heroics in Tokyo.
The bronze medallists — shutter P V Sindhu, boxer Lovlina Borgohain and wrestler Bajrang Punia — received Rs 25 lakh after their superb present on the recently-concluded Olympics.
“I assure you we are going to increase TOPS so that more and more athletes can be benefitted,” a delighted Thakur mentioned on the sidelines of the programme.
Optimistically, he added, “When such a function is held after 2024 Olympics, I hope the medallists are so many that there is no space left here (for them to occupy).”
Each member of the bronze-medal successful males’s hockey workforce received richer by Rs 10 lakh every. The coach of gold winner Chopra will obtain Rs 12.5 lakh, whereas coaches of Dahiya and Chanu received Rs 10 lakh. The coach for the bronze winners was given Rs 7.5 lakh.
It was additionally introduced that Rs 1 lakh will likely be given to all 128 Tokyo Olympians. All the medallists have been current.
Besides, the medal-winning National Sports Federations (NSFs) have been offered with cheques of Rs 30 lakh every.
Along with Thakur and the opposite dignitaries current, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra, too, lauded the nation’s athletes for his or her efficiency on the showpiece.
“There was a lot of gloom and despondency in the country due to COVID-19 before the Olympics. But your (athletes) performance in Tokyo Olympics has changed all that and you have brought smile to 1.3 billion people of the country,” Batra mentioned.
“You must have realised what you all have done for the country.”
Chopra’s coach Klaus Bartonietz and Jaiveer Choudhary, who launched the athlete to the Shivaji Stadium in Panipat, didn’t flip up for the occasion.